Many times as we give thanks to God, we just thank Him for our food, comfort, nice home, realtives, friends and some people rarely for their working place and colleagues. But this way of giving thanks to God is a selfish one that comes out of a "I, Me and Myself" attitude of our heart rather than "We, You and Ourself" attitude of Christ. Self-love makes you stingy and selfish, it makes you look inward for satisfaction. But Christ's love makes you generous and unselfish, it makes you look outward for satisfaction.
True thanksgiving of our heart can only come out of the high octane fuel of Christ's Love burning within it. For example when we pray for a particular saint who hates us or who is going through problems in his personal life, we should choose to give thanks for keeping this saint in the Church and bless them for the change that God is going to bring in to their life. When this thing happens we have chosen to operate in the love of Christ which looks outward rather than inward.
These thanksgiving that come out of heart filled with the love of Christ will not operate by good feelings, rather it will operate in obedience to the God's Word which says, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thess 5:18). When we choose to obey God first, then all the heavenly good emotion will follow us.
Apostle Paul had great burden for the prosperity of all the Church saints because his heart was always filled with this red hot Love of Christ. This following wonderful words of thankgiving prayer for the saints was written by Apostle Paul from a rat-infested, smelly and torturously humid Roman prison where he was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel and teaching the Word of God. He inked the following glorious words saying, "15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers" (Eph 1:15-16). What was happening? Apostle Paul did not think about himself inwardly but all his thoughts were outward towards the saints who are going through spiritual struggles inside the Household of God. When Paul looked outward and gave thanks to God for all the saints who are going to be delivered from selfish pursuit towards God, then God made Paul the Apostle a dispenser of God's supernatural material of peace, love and grace which he pronounced over the saints at the end of the epislte saying, "23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen." (Eph 6:23-24).
The more we lookoutward and give thanks for the saints, the more we will inherit all the blessings of heaven. Not only this, the greatest blessing in this earth is to be a blessing to others and this we will become "a blessing to all the families of the earth" (Gen 12:2-3).
A Prayer for You : Thank you Lord for this beautiful day you have given me. I pray for all the saints whom I know and even don't know personally. Empower them all to be blessed and become a blessing to many. Fill me up with the red hot LOVE OF JESUS up to the brim and even to overflowing, and help me to look outward and continually give thanks for what you are going to do in the lives of these saints for whom I have prayed. Thank you Lord for making me now blessed to be a blessing to many. In JESUS name I pray. Amen and Amen!
God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" - William A. Ward
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